One of our favorite parts of the year is when A Novel Affair comes around! This year it’s on April 14 right at The Ferguson Library in the heart of downtown Stamford. The tasting and fundraising event goes from 5:30-8:30 and we’re very proud and honored to be one of the media partners! There will be food, there will be an open bar with wine and beer tastings, and the night will wrap up with a live auction that includes a trip for 2 to California wine country, three days at St. Bart’s, and a catered jazz cocktail party at Bank Street Events! Tickets are $125, the book club price is $100, and the Junior Professional price (26 and under) is $75. Reservations available at www.fergusonlibrary.org or by calling 203 351-8205. Sponsorship information at 203 351-8208.Continue reading →

Congratulations to Steve Draper, check your e-mail for info on claiming those two tix!

Cancel any plans that you have for next Thursday, because the Chili Cook Off & Wing Fling takes all precedence over anything. Don’t believe us? They have wings and chili from local restaurants, and they have beer and liquor tastings to warm ya up even more (more details below)! Tickets are just $35, but increase to $40 on Thursday, so grab ’em today! The night goes from 6-9 at The Waterview at 215 Roosevelt Drive in Monroe, so there’s plenty of time to drink and eat up.

Jeff Roberts, the man behind the burgeoning Facebook group (over 300 members) Craft Beer Enthusiast Union, has organized a beer event to satisfy all the beer geeks out there: Funk Fest 2015. Jeff joked around, saying that you don’t want to be the person who is looking at Untappdcheckins and feel all left out. So, instead, go treat yo’self and get down to The Outer Space in Hamden on 11/22 at 3 PM for a benefit to go down in the history books for The Hole in the Wall Gang. Tickets are $85, can be purchased now, and are selling out with only 20 left.Continue reading →

That’s pretty amazing if you ask us. Even if you don’t ask us, we’ll say it’s amazing. :) Well, you’ve got the perfect opportunity to explore the food and drinks of Ridgefield with the 15th Annual Taste of Ridgefield event, put together by the Ridgefield Rotary. The food (and drink) coma from sampling at 36 different spots begins on 1/26 and will include two tastings from 12:30-2:30 and 4-6. Tickets are $20 for kids aged 8-12, $40 if you buy tickets in advance or will be $45 at the door of the Ridgefield Community Center. Pick up your tix by visiting the Ridgefield Rotary site or pick them up from any Ridgefield Rotary Club member, Squash’s, Dimitri’s Diner, Cellar XV, Bistro 7, Deborah Annes, and the Women’s Center.

Drinking might be the most undervalued and talked about aspect of Thanksgiving that makes it great. Ya feel us? Sure, we know all about the pumpkin pie, the turkey, the stuffing (dressing? psshhh), the cranberry sauce, and that deliciously weird green been casserole…but the drinks really help to make the meal complete. Plus, getting through a few hours with your wacko family probably requires some heavy drinking. We’re just saying…

So, look: all that wine and great beer (no crap beer allowed on the Thanksgiving table) needs to get to your house somehow. But, where should you go? We’ve got the perfect answer: Ancona’s in Ridgefield and Wilton. For this weekend on 11/23 and 11/24 from 12-5 pm they’ll be hosting Tom Turkey’s 2 Day Tasting Extravaganza.

Normally for birthdays you need to find the perfect present for your friend then bring it over to the party. But, it works the opposite way at Harry’s Wine & Liquor Market in Fairfield. To celebrate their 72nd year in business this week, they’ll be giving you some amazing tasting treats and chances to get some amazing drinks.

First, we’ll start off on Thursday, 10/17, from 4-7 pm. Kobrand Imports will be there and will be featuring a few wines including a 96 point Sassacaia 2010 ($175) and a 99 point Fonseca Vintage port 2011 that is $100. While these two wines might not be in your normal price point, they are being sampled, so why not give them a try and see what 96 and 99 pointers taste like?

Then, on Friday, 10/18, from 4-7, you’ll be able to check out the champagnes of Canard Duchene. If you head over to the other side of Harry’s where the beer is, you’ll be able to get a special tasting of Down East Cider.

Finishing up the week, Saturday is going to be awesome! If you swing by from 1-4 pm, you can taste an awesome variety of Italian Wines from Vias Imports. Then, from 4-7 pm Harry’s will be offering a craft bourbon tasting. We’re talking about Pappy Van Winkle 12 year bourbon and some other mysterious items that Patrick alluded to. This is what he told us in a recent message:

“We are also going to delve into another hiding spot that we have and pull out another item or two that will be great accents to the tasting, who knows, one of them might even steal the show!”

Oh dear God, what can that mean? You’ll just have to come by and find out! In addition, be on the look out at the store for special prices on some of your favorite drinks and liquors.

Located at 2094 Post Road, Harry’s Wine & Liquor Market has long been Fairfield County’s leader in education and the introduction of new industry trends. Winner of numerous accolades, including, “Best Beer Shop of Fairfield County” by the The Advocate, and “Best Wine Shop” by Connecticut Magazine, Harry’s Wine & Liquor Market has also been recognized by The Wine Advocatefor its contributions and history.

Thomas Hooker Brewery in Bloomfield will be hosting a beer tasting fundraiser on 9/27 from 5-9 pm right at their brewery. Tickets are $20 per person and that includes beer, hors d’oeuvre, and even a souvenir glass. They’ll have their American Pale Ale, Blond Ale, IPA, Irish Red Ale, Watermelon Ale, and their Oktoberfest Lager there for drinking.

Last year we checked out Hops & Grapes Toasts & Tastes and had such a great time. There was great food galore from restaurants across Fairfield County with plenty of beer and wine to try. This year on 4/12 from 7:30-10:30 we can expect the fourth annual Hops & Grapes Toasts & Tastes to be even better as it moves into its new location: the Stamford Innovation Center in the heart of downtown. There will be plenty of room to mingle at this classic landmark building…and plenty of room to get your tastebuds tingling, too. In addition to the restaurants, caterers, cheesemongers, and bakeries, there will also be drinks and representation from breweries. When you’re in between drinks and courses, be sure to check out the great silent auctions that will be available (follow them on FB for early previews of what will be up for auction). Finally, if you stick around towards the end, you can take part in the live auction with amazing trips, gifts, and packages. We are also very proud and excited to be one of the media sponsors for this amazing event that raises vital money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society that fights leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma.

Tickets are $75 each or are $125 for a pair. Also, you may order VIP tickets for $100 each or $175 for a pair which includes a VIP gift bag, a raffle ticket, and a LLS wristband. You can also donate if you can’t make it or even purchase an ad to be played during the slideshow. As of now, these are the hops, grapes, and tastes that you can toast to:

Yeah, can you really go wrong with that? We’ll answer that for you: no, you can’t go wrong. Let’s start with the beer: Saranac, GW, Two Roads, Charter Oak, and Berkshire Brewing Company. Next, add in some food: Sails American Grill, Coromandel, and Michael Joseph’s Fine Foods. Finally, add in a nice night where you learn about the history of the brewing process and get to meet like-minded beer folk.

Harry’s Wine & Liquor Market is helping sponsor the 2nd Annual Taste of Black Rock. We’ve talked about this neighborhood before, how we lived there, and how the community is so amazing. Well, you’ll definitely want to check out what Taste of Black Rock has to offer this year.

The event will be held at The Burroughs Community Center on March 2 from 7:30-10 pm with tickets costing just $25. The proceeds from this event will help The Burroughs Community Center to keep being a community sanctuary and blessing. If you haven’t heard of The Burroughs Community Center, it’s their mission to, “Provide the residents of Bridgeport with program opportunities and facility resources for the purpose of promoting individual growth and community cohesiveness. We fulfill this through our direct services and by collaborating with community and facility partners. We also do this by connecting people requesting information, programs or forms of aid with agencies in the Greater Bridgeport community.”

Your ticket will get you tastings of some great Connecticut microbrews that Renzo (beerologist extraordinaire) from Harry’s is super excited about: